Lyle Beerbohm has quickly become recognized as one of the worlds top lightweights. With a combined amateur and pro record of 24-0, Lyle feels he has earned his spot as #1 contender in the Strikeforce lightweight division.

Dave Herbert: Hey Lyle, first off, how is training going?

Lyle Beerbohm: Well, I was hurt for a while. I had a bad back before the fight with Vitor. I went back to training and I pulled some cartilage in my ribs about 3 weeks ago. I feel a lot better now though and should be back at it with the next week or so.

DH: Has Strikeforce given you an opponent or made any offers?

LB: Not yet. I am still waiting to hear from them on that.

DH: There have been a few additions to the LW division recently, JZ Cavalcante and most recently, Jorge Masvidal. What are your thoughts on these new additions to the division, if any?

LB: I think they are both great fighters. If I am going to fight someone that is not Melendez it should be one of them. I only want to fight guys in the top 3 in the division.

DH: JZ is facing Josh Thomson next with the winner possibly getting a title shot. What is your prediction for this fight?

LB: I don’t know much about JZ. I know Josh is an all around great fighter so I will go with Josh.

DH: Where do you think you stand as far as a title shot is concerned?

LB: I am undefeated in 24 fights with 22 finishes and I am coming off a win over Vitor Ribiero, who I think is one of the best in the division right now. I feel I should have the next shot. I want to fight Gilbert; that’s the fight I want more than anything. I honestly feel I am one of the greatest fighters in the world and Strikeforce should acknowledge that.

DH: Thomson has stated before that he feels you are dodging him and other fights. What is your answer to this?

LB: I don't like to get involved in the talk so much but for him to be calling me names is unnecessary. I really don’t like that guy. When I see him we are fighting; plain & simple. I hope to catch him in an elevator or something. He has really made me mad and that doesn’t happen to me. I turned down fights because I was injured and they offered them to me right after my last fight. I will fight them; just give me some time in between fights ya know.

DH: Is Thomson the fight you want next?

LB: I don’t even want to fight him in the cage. I want to fight him in the street where there are no rules. He can come to Spokane and we can do it or I will go to him. It's come to that point.

DH: At the moment just about every top guy in the division is booked. Masvidal is the only one not booked. How do you feel about this fight?

LB: Let’s do it. Jorge is no slouch. He is one of the top guys in the division. A win over him would help get me my shot at Gilbert.

DH: How many fights are left on your Strikeforce contract?

LB: Man I signed the worst contract ever. I signed it back when I was fighting for Elite XC. I was fresh out of prison and had 2 wins on my pro record, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. My contract got picked up by Strikeforce when Elite XC collapsed, so I am with them for a while.

DH: How about the future?

LB: As far as the future is concerned, the UFC is my goal. That's where I want to be.

DH: Shaolin, among others, feels that your fight with him was scored incorrectly and that he should have won. What are your thoughts regarding that fight?

LB: The goal was for me to get the win. When Randy Couture has fights like that, everyone says it was a great gameplan. If I can hold him against the fence, even if I am not causing damage, I still won that round. He certainly wasn’t causing any damage.

DH: Is the rematch pretty much imminent at this point?

LB: You know I’m not sure. After I fight Melendez, if he wants to do it then yeah, sure. I feel that I won that fight though so no point in doing that rematch right now.

DH: You have a documentary coming out soon right?

LB: Yeah, it’s called No Submission. It’s basically a film about my tribes and tribulations; dealing with being a meth addict and being in prison. Anyone who wants to learn more about it can check out the official website, www.nosubmissionfilm.com or the No Submission facebook page.

DH: Lyle, it's been a pleasure and I wish you the best of luck and I can't wait to see No Submission: The Lyle Beerbohm Story.